Kitchener Panthers legend Bob McKillop has passed away

KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers and the IBL community has lost one of its all-time greats.

Bob McKillop, a four-time IBL MVP and who helped Kitchener win four IBL championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has passed away.

McKillop was 83.

Before beginning with the Kitchener Panthers in 1966, McKillop played four years in the Chicago White Sox organization, reaching single-A Sarasota in 1964.

He became a household name in the Intercounty on both offence and defence.

McKillop sits sixth in Panthers history with 47 home runs and third in RBI (259). He also sits third in both wins as a pitcher (40) and strikeouts (436).

He was an eight-time IBL all-star catcher, and won three IBL home run titles.

He was the ERA leader in 1966 with a minuscule 0.93, and was the IBL's batting champ in 1969, hitting a league-high .381 average.

McKillop also won the IBL MVP award in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1973, was named one of the Top 100 IBL Players of All-Time in 2018 and was inducted into the OBA Hall of Fame in 2019.

After his retirement, McKillop was involved heavily with Kitchener Minor Baseball, and also taught at both KCI and the University of Waterloo.

"Bob McKillop played a vital role in our franchise's storied legacy, and the impact he made on the Panthers will always be remembered," said general manager Shanif Hirani.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire McKillop family."